These were my first high end speakers. I actually purchased them as the model 804 back in the late 1980s and then upgraded them through every model (804B, 804C, 804CM) to the last and final version, the 804CM. The 804CM retailed for $5,400 for the pair back in 1993. The C stood for the latest crossover upgrade and the M stood for a new VIFA metal dome tweeter.
I didn’t care for the sound of the VIFA metal dome tweeter (it was in a lot of speakers back then) and a speaker designer friend of mine who worked for Mark Levinson’s company, Red Rose Music, professionally upgraded the tweeter to the Focal TiO2 (titanium oxide) inverted dome tweeter. He made adjustments to the tweeter crossover as necessary and it blends beautifully and sounds much better than the VIFA tweeter.
The midrange driver is almost legendary and is the British ATC 3-inch, dome midrange. It is the ATC SM75-150 Midrange
75mm Fabric Dome Midrange. Here is a quote from a British loudspeaker specialist web site about this driver: "Widely regarded as the finest midrange in the world, the SM75-150 has set the standard for mid-band clarity and detail. Used by ATC in all their larger studio monitors and appearing in only the very highest quality HiFi systems, the SM75-150 is the first choice for any designer who demands only the best that money can buy."
Another high quality British manufacturer, Volt, supplied the dual 8-inch woofers. The woofers are slot loaded. Frequency response is 32 Hz - 20 kHz, +/- 2dB. Dimensions are 47 X 12 X 15 and each speaker weighs 100 pounds. They are rated at 93 dB sensitivity and the minimum recommended amplifier power is 30 watts per channel.
These are very dynamic speakers and they will fill a large room with great sound. Vocals are just sublime and the bass is clean and powerful. The new tweeter is extended and airy, with no harshness. There is a pair of the matching Nelson Reed 1204 subwoofers on eBay now and they would be a great addition. The designers, Ron Nelson and Bill Reed, kept prodding me to get the subwoofers, but I was quite satisfied with the bass. All drivers work fine and are in perfect condition. The woofers have rubber surrounds, not foam, and they are in excellent condition. The speakers are in near mint condition and have been lovingly cared for over the years. I am now using speakers at over triple the retail price of these and I no longer have a use for them.
I have listed a shipping cost for the lower 48 States as $250.00. This would be by Pilot Freight, shipped on a pallet. If the shipping cost is less, I will refund the difference. Pickup in Hamden, CT is welcomed and preferred.
Retail price was $5,400 per pair in 1993. I am asking $2,000 for them. I can also demo them for interested buyers.
